Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that rewards high frame rates, and the pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER puts you in a strong position. This combination ranks at 241 out of 3714 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top percentile of configurations. The data shows that this is a high-performance match for the title, offering a significant edge over the vast majority of other tested setups.

How This Combo Ranks

The 241st position out of 3714 combinations places this pairing in the top 6.5% of all tested hardware combinations. This is a compelling result that underscores the synergy between the CPU and GPU. The Intel Core i7-14700K, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, delivers strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5, while its single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2160 ensures that frame pacing in a game like Lockdown Protocol remains tight.

In terms of processing power, the i7-14700K sits close to several high-end rivals in the data. Its average benchmark score is 69355, placing it a hair ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 by 0.1%, while it is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. This marginal separation means the CPU is essentially at parity with these top-tier chips, providing a robust foundation for gaming. The pair with the RTX 4080 SUPER, which ranks at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, rounds out a balanced system where neither the CPU nor GPU is a major bottleneck for Lockdown Protocol.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER plays a central role in delivering high frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, it has a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This memory capacity is ample for the game’s needs, even at the highest settings with high-resolution textures, and the bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and geometry data transfer do not become a limiting factor. The high memory bandwidth is crucial for maintaining stable FPS in intense firefights, where the engine can rapidly load new assets.

The GPU’s Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process, provides a substantial leap in performance and efficiency over previous generations. Its base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost up to 2550 MHz, which allows for high throughput. The 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores work together to render the game’s scenes with high fidelity. While Lockdown Protocol does not heavily utilize ray tracing, the existing RT cores still contribute to the overall performance headroom. The GPU’s FP32 compute power of 52.22 TFLOPS is more than sufficient to handle the game’s rendering requirements, and the 112 ROPs ensure that pixel fill rates are high, which is key for achieving high FPS at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU’s performance in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (6600 score) indicates a strong DirectX 12 pipeline, which is the primary API for modern titles like Lockout Protocol.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows how performance scales with resolution, providing insight into the balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1080p Low, the combination hits an average of 331 FPS, which illustrates the GPU’s ability to push very high frame rates when not constrained by resolution. This high FPS indicates a CPU-bound scenario at low settings, as the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s demand for frames. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 243, and at 4K Low, it falls to 194 FPS. This is a clear progression. The drop from 1080p to 4K Low is a 41.4% reduction in FPS, demonstrating that the GPU’s workload is scaling significantly with pixel count.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at higher settings. From 1080p High to 4Kp High, the average FPS drops from 205 to 97, a 52.7% loss. This shows that the game is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, with the CPU having less influence. The gap between settings also widens at 4K; the difference between Low and Ultra is 121 FPS, whereas at 1080p it is 121 FPS as well, but the relative proportion is smaller. The GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading rate are the primary factors at 4K, and the data indicates that the CPU is still able to keep up without being a major constraint at any resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the most balanced experience across all resolutions is the Medium preset. At 4K, Medium delivers an average of 111 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, which is a very playable level for a fast-paced shooter. The frame time, as indicated by the min FPS, remains above the 90-FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay. At 1440p, the Medium preset produces 172 FPS, and at 1080p it reaches 235 FPS, providing a fluid experience on high refresh-rate monitors.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the High preset is also a strong choice, delivering 151 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz for most displays. For those with a standard 60 Hz display, even the Ultra preset at 1440p is playable, hitting 113 FPS. At 4K, the High preset is the best fit for a 60 Hz display, averaging 97 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but may not feel as smooth for competitive play. The Low preset is best for maximizing FPS, especially at 4K, where it yields 157 FPS, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The Medium preset offers the best balance, providing a smooth experience with fewer visual compromises than Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the game is exceptionally fast. Ultra settings yield an average of 154 FPS, which is a high level for a shooter. High settings push this to 205 FPS, and Medium to 235 FPS. The Low preset reaches an impressive 331 FPS average, with a minimum of 200 FPS in the Medium preset, indicating that the CPU and GPU are well-balanced for this resolution.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong. Ultra gives 113 FPS, High produces 151 FPS, and Medium averages 172 FPS. Low settings result in 243 FPS, which is still high and shows the GPU’s capability at this resolution. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 147, ensuring a smooth experience even in heavy scenes.

At 4K, the game starts to become demanding. Ultra averages 73 FPS, High drops to 97 FPS, and Medium delivers 111 FPS. Low settings provide 157 FPS, which is still very playable. The data shows that 4K High is the sweet spot for a 60 Hz display, while 4K Medium can provide a higher refresh rate experience. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 95, which is a stable point for competitive play.

FAQ

Q: What is the Intel Core i7-14700K’s performance like in comparison to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355. It is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX. It is also 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115, showing that it sits in a competitive position among high-end desktop CPUs.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209. It is 0.1% slower than the standard RTX 4080, and 1.1% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. It is also 2.7% and 2.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S, respectively.

Q: What is the best setting for a 4K 60Hz monitor?

A: The High preset at 4K yields an average of 97 FPS, which is above the 60Hz refresh rate and provides a smooth experience. The Medium preset is also viable, with an average of 111 FPS, and a minimum of 95 FPS, offering a slightly higher frame rate at the cost of some visual effects.

Q: Can the system hit 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 1440p averages 172 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS. The High preset averages 151 FPS, which is also above 144 FPS. The Low preset is even higher, averaging 243 FPS. Only the Ultra preset at 1440p (113 FPS) falls short of a 144Hz target.

Q: Which settings produce the highest FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low preset produces the highest FPS, with an average of 331 FPS. The Medium preset also produces a very high 235 FPS, while High produces 205 FPS. The Ultra preset still yields 154 FPS, which is more than enough for any monitor.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game at 4K?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not a primary bottleneck at 4K. The drop from 1080p Low (331 FPS) to 4K Low (157 FPS) is large, but this is due to the GPU’s workload. The CPU’s strong single-core and multi-core scores (2160 and 33440.5 in Cinebench R23) ensure it can keep up, and the scaling of FPS with resolution shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.